to think that surely not EVERYONE hates Maggie?

[LadyOfTheManor]

Seriously, unless you're a miner or from a mining family, or Welsh... ok well even if you are, surely not EVERYONE hates Maggie T?

I'm a tad young, I was born in her "reign", but I did my degree in Politics and although I didn't really live under her (it was Major until I was 11) I couldn't see what she did that was SO terrible-let alone the sheer hostility when her name is mentioned here (in Wales!).

I think 'ordinary' background rather than 'humble' - apart from the fact that 'humble' us hardly a word that could be said of the woman in any context, it makes it sound as if she lived in an Dickensian hovel, picking turnips.

ohhh Shandy I was 15! we probaby shared damp chocolate bickies!

I laugh at the bemusement of leftie, middle-class, Islington types as to why working class people voted for her.

Er, perhaps those people saw her as a symbol of their own desire to improve their lot through their own efforts? As opposed to wallowing in benefits and an ever-increasing sense of entitlement??

I don't agree that Thatcher had no personal principles. IMO her government (at the beginning, at least) was unmatched by any since in being based on clear principles: private enterprise, individual responsibility, opportunity for those who go for it. The problem is that lots of people just don't agree with what those principles were.

Working class does not mean "wallowing in benefits" Pascoe. The clue is in the "working" bit.

Cavemum I'm not saying anything about whose territory it is or should be. I know that the population of the islands is British. I'm saying that there were two governments involved who were both seeking to gain popularity at home and distract from domestic issues. The invasion could have been prevented with a strong show of intent.

As for the RAF, army and navy, as always they went and did what they were ordered to bravely and at great personal risk. I always support the people who go and do the fighting even if I don't support the people who ordered them to do it IYSWIM.

i didnt care for her at the time

a mortgage at 16%, negative equity, sky high unemployment

but looking back, I can see she was very right in many ways

Hulababy...My memories are probably merging

I remember the later 78/9 power cuts.....candle lit pubs with open fire were very romantic!

Crikey, the way people on here talk about her wouldn't surprise me if she had a dancefloor on top of her grave in place of those shiny stone thingys [bwink]

Of course she had principles - tempered by pragmatism. One of the reasons she was so popular/loathed was that she stuck to her guns and saw things through when others would have caved in to pressure (from unions, Tory "wets", media etc etc).

One of the reasons she was so successful was that she knew when to pick a fight and when to retreat to fight another day - she backed down on mine closures pre-1983, deliberately building up coal stocks in order to survive the strike that NUM would undoubtedly call once she had resumed said closure programme.

As a side note, my DP was born in a working-class family in recession-era Liverpool in the 70s, and hauled himself up via a mixture of brains, work ethic (drummed in by parents) and sheer bloody determination to being pretty successful today.

He's told me repeatedly that thanks to the 'Education, education, education' Labour government's changes to education in this country, there's no way he could have done it if he were born today.

He couldn't bring himself to vote Tory at the last election. But you should hear him spit and fume about what Labour has done to social mobility in the last decade and a half.

It just isn't as simple as 'Tory governments keep the poor poorer, and Labour governments don't'.

Right, am off to attend to RL but before I go, I shall leave you with this thought...

MT fancied admired Murdoch. And he's a c*.

MT gave birth to Mark Thatcher. 'nuff said....

MollysChambers - very true...good point. Apologies, I was being lazy and lumping all C, D and E voters in together.

I don't know if I hate anyone but she would come very close.

People who were born in the 80s and onward and people living in the affluent parts of the country at the time simply can't understand on an emotional level how horrific it was. She was wicked. So were the hideous fractured screw you, money-grabbing, racist, homophobic attitudes of the time.

Indeed... amongst all her other 'good work ', let us not forget Clause / Section 28.

Such a 'tolerant' woman / party.....

really am going now.

The working classes voted for her because she sold them their council houses at a below market price so they felt they had money for the first time ever. Also labour controlled councils were portrayed as 'loony left' favouring imigrants, single mothers etc.

The reason we have had to pay out so much in housing benefits are a reflection of the Thatcher years, selling off all the social housing stock and refusing to build.

She stopped us having disgusting milk - I love her for that. Saved millions oc kids form listeria. Bleeding hero she is.

Meant to add that at that time homeowners were traditionally Tory voters so that's why she wanted to convert as many as possible, also she knew she could grab any gains back when the homeowners became frail and needed care. The threat from Labour then was that they would abolish MIRAS (mortgage tax relief) which went in 1990.

ifancyashandy - some "Loony Left" Labour councils were ramming homosexual literature down schools' throats in the 1980s and Section 28 was a response to that.

OTT by today's standards, perhaps, but please bear in mind the context in which these things were introduced.

narky, sorry I didn't mean my post to come across as if I was accusing you of apathy towards our troops.

I think the Argentine Junta were so desperate to distract people from the meltdown that was happening at home that they would have invaded the Falklands regardless of our presence. After all, if they were serious about wanting the land back they would have waited for Endurance to sail home :)

abouteve - labour councils were 'loony left' and did favour immigrants. Look up Islington Council and the way child abuse cases were investigated - white British family? Investigate!

Immigrant black family? Leave well alone because it woudl be racist to do otherwise and besides, it's important not to judge other people's cultures. Margaret Hodge - on Islington Council at the time - has much to answer for.

It's ok Cavemum, just wanted to make myself clear.

I think it was partly desperation on the part of the Argentinians. The domestic situation had deteriorated so much that they couldn't wait any longer.

They were also having problems with Peru over other territory.

I was explaining how working class people preceived Labour during the Thatcher years. I think the labour councils did a reasonable job with their PC ideas.

I also remember the blackouts.